Going to the Chapel
by I. M. Frelling-Wonko
Summary: #2 in my Holiday Series. The team is off to Vegas for Jack and Sam's wedding. What could possibly go wrong? AU
1. Chapter 1

This is my sorry attempt at Valentine's Day fluff so it's not very good but I'm posting it anyway.

It's a sequel to _Christmas with the Mitchells_. I've got Teal'c in this one!

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><p>Disclaimer: Trust me, dollface, if I owned the <em>Stargate<em> franchise, SG-1 and SGA would still be on the air and SGU would never have happened.

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><p>Spoiler Warning: None<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**12 February**

"C'mon, Vala!" Sam yelled as she barrelled into the alien's room. "We're going to miss our flight."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she retorted dragging a large suitcase behind her. "I don't see why we couldn't just take the _Odyssey_ again. Your Tau'ri methods of transportation are far too primitive."

"I told you already. Jack is retired now and he didn't want to call in a favour."

Vala merely rolled her eyes as she followed her friend through the corridors of the SGC until they reached topside. It wasn't often she got to see Earth by day so she stopped for a moment to take in the scenery. Earth may have been a backward world when but came to transportation but it was gorgeous. Her thoughts were suddenly derailed, though when Samantha tugged on her arm to get her moving again.

"Let's go." she hissed.

Vala rolled her eyes again but followed Sam to her car where the blonde took her suitcase and quickly tossed it into the trunk before climbing in the driver's seat. Vala shook her head and jumped in as well. She barely got her seatbelt in place when Sam tore out of the parking lot at a speed that actually shocked Vala. This was nothing like driving with Daniel.

"Um, Samantha?" she tried after a few minutes. "Don't you think we ought to slow down? I'd like to get there in one piece, if that's all right with you."

Sam glared for a moment before looking toward the speedometer and Vala saw her cringe before slowing down. "Sorry, Vala. I just don't want anything to go wrong."

"I know but, trust me, getting there alive is the first step to things going right." she grinned and Sam spared her a small smile. "Really, everything is going to be just fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Sam asked, turning back to the road ahead. "We're SG-1. Plan A _never_ works."

"That's why there are plans B through Z. And, if none of those work, we move on to the Goa'uld alphabet."

She heard Sam giggle and knew her joke had the desired effect. Samantha was finally starting to relax. Now all she had to do was make sure everything went as planned. Shouldn't be too difficult, she thought. After all, it was just a wedding. And, goodness knows, Vala had been involved in plenty of those.

()()()()

"Where the hell are they?" Jack asked for what seemed the millionth time. "It's not like Sam to be late."

"They'll be here, Jack." Daniel answered exasperatedly.

"What if something happened? Or worse, what if she changed her mind?"

"I do not believe Samantha Carter would do that, O'Neill." Teal'c answered stoically and Daniel was grateful for the Jaffa's presence. As best man, it was Daniel's job to keep Jack calm the next few days, but the man was already driving him wonko. He was glad he had Teal'c around for backup.

"You're right, you're right." Jack said but continued to pace. "And she _is_ with your space pirate, Danny boy. God only knows what kind of trouble those two could get into together."

Daniel grinned at the thought of Sam and Vala being a modern day Thelma and Louise and it only widened when he saw the two women in question walking swiftly toward them. He was happy to see the serene look on Sam's face as she leant in to kiss Jack but one look at Vala and he could see something was bothering her. He opened his arms for her, fully expecting one of her enthusiastic kisses, but all he got was a quick hug and a perfunctory peck to the lips.

"What's wrong?" he whispered in her ear.

She looked up at him quickly, the crease in her brow growing, but quickly brought out her mega-watt smile. "Oh nothing, darling. I was just...thinking. So, when do we leave?"

Daniel knew a deflection when he saw it but decided to wait until they reached their destination to ask her about it. Instead, he placed his arm around her shoulders and led her to their departure gate. The others followed in tandem and soon they were on their way to Las Vegas.

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><p><strong>R&amp;R does not mean read and run. Please review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**12 February**

Jack felt a hand come to rest on his knee and only then did he realise he'd been nervously bouncing it.

"Nervous?" Sam asked.

"Who me? Never. Not a chance." She merely gave him a gentle smile as she squeezed his leg and he gave in. He never could get anything past this woman. "Maybe a little. We _have_ been waiting to do this for over a decade."

"Don't worry, Jack. Everything is going to be fine."

"How is it you're so confident? We _are_ SG-1, ya know."

"Jack, this isn't a mission. We're getting married. There are no aliens here to mess that up." He looked pointedly toward Teal'c then Vala and she laughed. "Okay, no malevolent aliens hell-bent on inter-galactic domination."

He laughed with her but couldn't quite dispel the bad feeling he'd had since leaving Colorado. Something was going to go wrong, he just knew it.

()()()()

The flight to Vegas went off without a hitch, much to everyone's relief, and they'd landed safely at the airport. Jack had a car and driver waiting for them (even a retired general still had some perks) and they'd driven to their hotel. Daniel had tried not to laugh as he watched the awed expressions on the faces of Teal'c and Vala but he loved seeing his world through their eyes. It made him wonder if that was how the inhabitants of the planets they visited saw him. He shrugged off the thought as they climbed out of the car and he heard Vala gasp at the sights before her.

"I have been to a lot of places in my travels, but never have I seen anything like this. It's incredible."

"I agree with Vala Mal Doran." Teal'c said, coming up behind them. "This Las Vegas is quite remarkable."

Daniel, Jack and Sam laughed at the understatement. Leave it to Teal'c to downplay even Vegas. After a moment, Jack led the way inside where they collected their room keys and went to their respective rooms. Daniel watched as Vala wandered about, biding his time before he asked what was bothering her.

"This room is beautiful, Daniel. Much better than that motel I stayed in when I kidnapped Cameron."

Daniel smiled at the memory, no longer feeling the slight twinge of jealousy he'd gotten when he'd seen the almost-nude colonel in that motel room bed. Even after Mitchell had explained the scenario, he'd kept his eyes on him for months after.

"Ooh! Daniel, there is a tiny refrigerator here full of alcoholic drinks. Look at these little bottles. How is one supposed to be affected by such a small amount?"

Daniel laughed and took the bottle out of her hand, returning it to the mini-bar. He pulled her over to the small love seat in the living space and snuggled her close to him. Last thing he needed was to get hit with a huge bill.

"Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

"It's nothing, really." He gave her a look that told her he wasn't buying it and she relented. "Fine. Samantha was a bit worried about things going wrong and I did my best to calm her down."

"Well, you seemed to have done a good job. She certainly looked relaxed."

"Yes, well, I simply told her everything would be fine. But what if I was wrong? As she said, nothing ever goes according to plan for us. I really don't want anything to go wrong here."

"Don't worry so much, sweetheart. Everything has been put together, planned to the last detail. What could go wrong?"

"Daniel!" Vala yelled as she stood and started pacing. "Don't you know that is the worst thing you could possibly say? You've just jinxed the whole thing!"

"Come on, Vala." He rose and caught her by the shoulders, trying to get her to stop her rant. "You don't actually believe that, do you?"

"Have you seen out track record, Daniel?"

"Why is this so important to you?" he asked, knowing she wasn't telling him the whole truth.

Sighing, she sat back down on the sofa and he went with her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Samantha is the best girlfriend I've ever had. In fact, she'd the _only_ girlfriend I've ever had. I made a promise that nothing would go wrong and I fully intend to keep that promise."

"I can understand that. But, honey, you can't let yourself get so worked up over this. If something _does_ go wrong..." He stopped at her glare but forged ahead carefully. "I said "if". If something does go wrong, we'll fix it. Just like we always do. We're a team, right?"

"I suppose you're right." she said as she cuddled into his embrace again.

"Of course I'm right. Now, let's go get ready. Jack said something about a buffet downstairs."

He laughed as Vala's eyes lit up at the idea of all-you-can-eat and watched her rush off to the bathroom to get ready. Everything was going to be just fine, he thought. He'd make sure of that.

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><p><strong>R&amp;R does not mean read and run. Please review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**12 February**

Jack looked on in shock and awe (and not a little envy) as Vala tucked into a plate piled so high with food, it looked like the leaning tower of Pisa. How could a woman so small eat so much? Teal'c he understood and was used to. But Vala...Well, he just felt sorry for Daniel and his future food bills. After pulling his attention from the phenomenon that was Vala Mal Doran, his gaze turned to Sam who was staring at him as if she knew exactly what he'd been thinking. How did she do that, anyway? He shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile as the twinkle in her eye gave way to a soft laugh. Yep, she'd definitely known what he'd been thinking. As she went back to her own meal, he continued to stare, marvelling at how this beautiful, intelligent woman could possibly love him. But she did and proved it every day. In their time together, he'd learnt not to question their feelings. After all, who was he to question fate?

His contemplation was interrupted when he heard Vala squeal suddenly. He looked up to see what was the matter when he noticed a man walk onto the stage, announcing that it was karaoke night. A fact Jack had "forgotten" to tell Daniel about. He watched as the archaeologist banged his head on the table and smiled evilly. Hey, it was _his _wedding weekend. What better way to spend it than torturing his best friend? He laughed as Vala tried in vain to get Daniel onto the stage with her. Correction: What better way to spend the weekend than to watch someone _else_ torture his best friend? Jack laughed maliciously at the sight and was sent a death-glare by the younger man. Oh, he was going to pay for this, but he couldn't seem to make himself care.

"Samantha," Vala suddenly said, obviously realising that Daniel was not going to be a sport. "Would you care to join me in a little karaoke?"

Jack watched as Sam thought about it. He'd never actually heard her sing before. Oh, there was that humming one time, a time he'd prefer to forget. But singing? No, he couldn't recall her ever doing that. He silently hoped she'd go for it.

"All right." she finally acquiesced, much to the delight of the alien. "But only one song."

"Thank you, Samantha." she said as she pulled her friend to the stage, before she could change her mind. Oh, this should be good, Jack thought.

"I do not recall ever hearing Samantha Carter sing." Teal'c put in thoughtfully, glancing questioningly at Jack and Daniel. They both shrugged then turned their attention toward the stage where the women were standing, waiting for their song to start. Jack nearly choked on his beer when he heard the song they'd chosen: "No Sleep Tonight". Seriously? Soon, though, he was distracted by how good they actually sounded and sat back to listen. He noticed Daniel had a goofy grin in his face and wondered just what he was thinking. On the other hand, with the way he was eyeing the raven-haired alien, maybe it was better he didn't know. Pushing that thought away, he turned his attention back to the ladies. When they were through and had returned to the table, amidst a round of applause, the men congratulated them on a job well done.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you could sing" Jack asked.

"You never asked." Sam told him with a cheeky grin.

"You two were great." Daniel told Vala with a kiss to her temple.

"I agree." Teal'c said. "The two of you were quite harmonious together."

"Why, thank you, Muscles." Vala preened as Sam blushed and said a quiet thank you of her own.

"If you would excuse me now, I believe it is time for me to turn in for the night as the hour is late." With that, Teal'c left as they each threw their good-nights to his retreating back.

Jack saw Daniel lean into Vala and made sure to eavesdrop on the conversation. Hey, Daniel could be leaking state secrets, for all he knew.

"What do you say we go to our room and watch a movie?" Daniel whispered.

"A movie? You want to watch a film tonight?" Vala sounded incredulous and Jack couldn't blame her. Really, Daniel? he thought to himself.

"Do you remember what you told me on our first date? The night you were taken by the Trust? What constitutes a date?"

"Of course I do. 'A romantic event typified by dinner, movie and/or karaoke and usually culminating in a night of...Oh!" She stood so quickly her seat nearly fell backward. "See you two tomorrow!" Before Jack or Sam could even formulate a response, Vala had dragged Daniel out of the bar.

"What was that all about?" Sam asked.

"You don't want to know." he told her. "What say we turn in, as well. Got a busy couple of days ahead."

"We _could_ make it a busy night." Sam said as she leant in close. Jack's eyes widened for a second before he did the Vala thing and dragged her toward the elevator. Nope, he didn't understand how this beautiful, intelligent woman could possibly love him but he was glad she did.

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><p><strong>R&amp;R does not mean read and run. Please review!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**13 February**

"Where are you going?" Jack asked. He'd just awoken to find Sam coming out of the bathroom, fully dressed and looking ready to leave.

"Vala booked us an appointment at the spa downstairs." She told him as she grabbed her purse from the dresser. "She says she wants me to be fully relaxed for tomorrow."

"I could help you relax." he said with a wink. "No need to got to some silly spa."

Sam grinned and walked over to the bed, dropping a quick kiss to his cheek. "I know you could and that's precisely why I'm leaving. I don't want to spend all of my time in this hotel room. They'll be time enough for that on the honeymoon."

Jack was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

"That'll be Vala. I'll see you later."

And with that, she was out the door, leaving in her wake a very disgruntled retired general. Damn meddling alien, he thought. He liked Vala, enjoyed her company and revelled in how flustered she could make Daniel. But right now he wished he'd never invited her along.

()()()()

Sam and Vala sat in obscenely comfortable reclining leather chairs, each with cucumbers on their eyes and green gunk on their faces, oblivious to anything but the serenity of being pampered. Sam wriggled her newly pedicured toes as she thought about her friendship with Vala. After Janet's death, she really hadn't had a close female friend until Vala showed up. She hadn't known the other woman long before she'd been sent into the Ori galaxy and once she'd been rescued, Sam had tried to steer clear. She hadn't really wanted a new friend, hadn't wanted to be set up for that kind of hurt again. But Vala was, well, Vala. One couldn't ignore her for long. She'd placed herself in Sam's life without her really noticing and by the time she did, Sam hadn't cared. She loved Vala's quirkiness, her love of life and seemingly endless supply of energy. But she'd also discovered that this woman was intelligent, caring and much more vulnerable than she wanted anyone to see. But Sam had, though she'd never said anything to Vala about it. Nor would she. Sam allowed Vala her secrets just as Vala allowed Sam hers.

Besides Jack and Daniel, she thought of Vala as her best friend. She'd grown up surrounded by men and it was nice to have a girl around. She'd loved Janet like a sister but they'd been so similar, they'd never really challenged each other to be more. With Vala she was able to break out and be something different. Like last night. Before Vala, she never would have gotten up on that stage. And she would have missed a very freeing experience.

"Samantha?" she heard Vala say, interrupting her musings. Removing the cucumber from her eyes, she glanced over to her raven-haired friend. She was tapping her toes to a tune only she could hear.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"What exactly is high-stakes poker?"

"Um...Why do you want to know?"

"I heard some men talking about it last night and they invited me to join their game."

Sam groaned and began to explain exactly what high-stakes poker involved. She could swear she actually saw the dollar signs in the alien's eyes when she mentioned the amount of money needed to just get into the game. Yes, they may be complete opposites, but she was glad she had Vala in her life.

()()()()

Some hours later Jack was sitting in a crowded bar, drinking his third beer and grumbling to Daniel and Teal'c about flighty women. Sam had called him earlier to let him know she'd be gone all day, that she and Vala were going to go shopping and do other girly things. So here he was, in Vegas the night before his wedding, and he was spending it with an archaeologist and an alien while Sam and Vala did only the gods knew what. It was with this depressing thought in mind that had him ordering his fourth beer.

"You may wanna slow down, Jack." Daniel advised. "You don't want to have a hangover for your wedding tomorrow."

"Daniel Jackson is correct, O'Neill. It would prove most prudent for you to abstain."

Jack ignored Teal'c and glared at Daniel. "Doesn't it irk you that we are in Vegas and our women would rather spend time with each other than us?"

"First of all, if you ever decide to call Sam and Vala 'our women' in front of them, make sure I'm not nearby. Second, what difference does it make who they spend today with? Just be glad it's not your wedding night."

Jack was going to say something more when Daniel's phone beeped. His eyes narrowed as the younger man read the text and cringed. Turning to Jack, he put on a fake smile.

"Um...That was Vala. She said she and Sam are going to be involved in a poker game tonight and not to...uh...not to wait up for them."

Jack banged his head on the bar a few times before looking back to Daniel who was speaking again.

"Just think of it this way. This can be your bachelor party. Without the stripper."

Jack just blinked at his former best friend before going back to his head banging experience.

"Indeed." he heard Teal'c intone.

"You said it." he mumbled. "Another beer, please."

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><p><strong>R&amp;R does not mean read and run. Please review!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

This is the chapter that gave me a lot of trouble. It went in a totally different direction than I'd anticipated and I'm not so sure I even like it. But I'm using it to set up another story I'm going to be working on later so I decided to go ahead and post it.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**14 February**

Daniel awoke to the sound of his phone ringing and glanced up to see what time it was. He groaned when he read 12:37 in big green lights. Who would be calling him at this hour? When he noticed the other half of his bed was empty, he had his answer before he even picked up the phone.

"What did you do, Vala?" he asked without preamble.

"Well, hello you to too, darling. What makes you think I did something?"

"Sweetheart, it's almost one in the morning. Last I heard, you and Sam were going to a poker game. So, what happened?"

"Promise you won't get angry?"

"I promise. Now tell me." By now Daniel was out of bed and getting dressed because he just knew he was going to have to go out somewhere.

"Okay. Well, Samantha and I are currently taking up residence in one your smaller penal facilities."

"You're in jail!" He knew he shouldn't be surprised but he couldn't help it. After all, she'd been with Sam all day. He'd never thought...Suddenly he remembered his earlier musings of them being a modern day Thelma and Louise. Aw hell.

"Daniel, you promised you wouldn't get angry." she reminded him.

"All right, just tell me which precinct you're in. I'll be right over."

She told where they were being held and he was about to hang up when she stopped him.

"One more thing, Daniel. Don't tell Jack."

"Why not?" he asked, freezing with his hand on the doorknob.

"Samantha made me promise he wouldn't find out about our little...adventure. So please, don't tell him."

"Fine, but I'm bringing Teal'c." With that he hung up and made his way to Teal'c's room, wondering just what the hell they'd done to get tossed in jail.

()()()()

Two hours, one phone call to a certain disgruntled general in Colorado and a very effective Jaffa intimidation technique later, the girls were free and the charges against them had been dropped. Charges that still had Daniel speechless. Assault, carrying concealed weapons, and inciting a riot.

Apparently they'd been invited to a high-stakes poker game, a fact that had Daniel shuddering. How could Sam allow Vala to be involved in something like that knowing what she was like? Anyway, the girls had been raking in the chips when Vala "accidentally" let slip a story about a game she'd been involved in where she'd been caught cheating. She'd apparently believed the part about her being strip-searched would distract the men, but no such luck. They'd wanted her to strip down so they could check her for cards hidden on her person. When she'd refused, a muscle-head (Vala's word, not his) pulled her from her seat. She'd retaliated by punching him in the nose, effectively breaking it, sending the guy into a fit of rage. He'd gone after Vala again but this time Sam got involved, placing the guy in a choke-hold. His fellow muscle-heads (again, her words, not his) didn't take kindly to one of their own being bested by a couple of women so they'd gone after Sam. A few of the other men didn't like that the women were being ganged up on so they'd attacked the muscle-heads. Somewhere in the midst of the riot, one of Vala's knives had fallen out of her boot. How had she even gotten those on the plane? Anyway, the cops had shown up just in time to see Vala stuffing the weapon back into her boot and everyone had been taken down to the local precinct. By the time Daniel and Teal'c had arrived, Vala had been regaling the officers with stories of her travels. She'd had them all wrapped nicely around her finger. Sam, on the other hand, had been sitting with her head in her hands, looking decidedly embarrassed.

As they were leaving, Daniel had noticed quite a few leers being sent Vala's way and made sure to wrap his arm tightly around her, informing every man in the room that she was taken. Neither Daniel nor Sam spoke a word on the drive back to the hotel, leaving the conversation to the two aliens. Glancing over at Sam, Daniel worried about her silence. She'd been arrested before, on multiple planets. Why was this any different? He decided to wait until they were back at the hotel before asking her about it. When they were finally in the lobby, he pulled Vala aside and whispered in her ear.

"Do you mind going back upstairs without me? I want to talk to Sam for a few minutes."

"Of course not, darling. Take your time." She gave him a gentle smile and kissed his cheek before grabbing Teal'c's arm and leading him toward the elevators, chatting about some Jaffa fighting technique she'd used in the riot. God, he loved that woman.

Turning back to Sam, he gave her a small smile and pointed toward the bar. She followed without a word and they settled into a booth. "So, why didn't you want me to tell Jack."

"He's so positive that something is going to go wrong this weekend. I just don't want him to worry. I need him to believe it's going to go off without a hitch."

"It's not like your wedding is being taken over by hostile aliens. You were only arrested for inciting a riot. Hell, for SG-1 that's an every day occurrence."

"That's just it!" she hissed angrily. "I don't want my wedding to be about SG-1. For once I want it to be about Samantha Carter and Jack O'Neill. No interference, no regulations, no missions. Just us. Is that so much to ask?"

"No, it's not." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze to let her know he understood. "You and Jack deserve to be happy."

"Thank you, Daniel. I just wish we didn't have to call General Landry. Sometimes I just wish I could leave the Air Force completely out of it."

"You're not thinking about leaving the SGC are you? Leaving the military?" Daniel asked in shock.

"I don't know." she told him honestly. "I've been thinking about it. I just want to live a normal life."

Daniel was gob-smacked. In all the years he'd known Samantha Carter, he'd never thought he'd hear those words. "Does Jack know?"

"Yes. He said he'll be okay with whatever I choose to do."

"Wow." was all he could say.

"I know it's a lot to take in but I haven't actually decided yet. I may not even retire."

"Well, whatever you decide, I'm behind you all the way."

"I know you are, Daniel. Thank you. Now, I'd better get back to the room before Jack wakes up and realises how late it is. Remember, you promised not to tell him about tonight."

"Your secret is safe with me." he said as he watched her walk back to the elevator. The SGC without Samantha Carter? He couldn't even fathom the idea.


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, so I couldn't actually remember the traditional wedding vows so I had to google them. Sorry in advance if I got something wrong.

Final chapter, guys. I hope you all enjoyed this little story. Stayed tuned for more in this series.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**14 February**

It was three-o'clock in the afternoon and Jack was finally fully recovered from the effects of his "bachelor party" the night before. Years ago his body had built up an immunity to alcohol but somewhere in the last few years he'd lost that immunity. Probably because he didn't feel the need to numb himself to life any more, not with Sam in his around. Speaking of Sam, he'd felt her climb into bed with him sometime in the middle of the night but had been too hungover to really pay attention. He'd meant to ask what time she'd actually come in but hadn't had the time. They'd both awoken late and she'd rushed off with Vala to get ready for the wedding.

So, here he stood, in a small church on the outskirts of Las Vegas, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. He noticed Daniel fidgeting beside him and leant in to whisper to him.

"What's up, Danny boy? You look nervous and you're not even the one getting married."

"Nervous, me? I just...uh, well, you know how I hate tuxedos."

Jack raised his brow in question but Daniel continued to wear a blank look. He shrugged and moved onto another question.

"What time did the girls get in last night? I heard Sam come in but I was too drunk to see what time it was."

"Oh, it was around midnight. Not too late."

Daniel was fidgeting again and Jack narrowed his eyes on the younger man. He was going to ask more but the music started playing and his attention turned toward the women waling down the aisle. Sam had chosen a simple white dress with thin straps on the shoulders and her hair was up in some complicated knot. She was a vision, more radiant than any of the ascended beings he'd met. They smiled at each other as she and Vala took their places beside him.

"You look amazing." he told her as he leant in close, taking in the intoxicating scent that was Samantha Carter.

"Thank you." she said with a blush. "You look quite handsome yourself."

He puffed out his chest a little at her compliment as they turned back toward the minister. Jack tried to listen to every word the man said but his eyes kept drifting to Sam. God, she was beautiful. She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned to smile at him and he grinned back, not at all ashamed at being caught staring. For too many years he'd had to pretend his glances were something else. Now he could stare all he wanted and there was no one around to stop him. Suddenly he was brought back to the present by the minister's words.

"Jonathan O'Neill, do you take Samantha Carter to be your wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, til death do you part?"

"I do." Jack answered readily.

"And Samantha Carter, do you take Jonathan O'Neill to be your husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, til death do you part?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"And Jack did, with relish.

()()()()

A few hours later, the group was sitting in a fancy restaurant, laughing and having fun. Jack was surprised that he was no longer feeling the dread of impending doom.

"I can't believe nothing went wrong this weekend." he said and narrowed his eyes as Daniel and Sam squirmed in their seats. Looking toward Vala, he saw her grin too brightly then tuck eagerly into her food. Finally, he turned to Teal'c who merely raised an eyebrow, giving him a blank look. Something was going on here.

"Whatever happened in that poker game you girls went to last night?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, we swept up." Vala said with a grin.

"She means 'cleaned up'." Sam inserted, wearing her own mischievous smile.

"Yeah?" His eyes narrowed even more. "Just how much did you two win?"

"What was it before the game was...interrupted, Samantha? Around five-hundred-thousand?"

"Closer to six, I'd say." Sam supplied.

Three sets of eyes bugged out at that. Yep, even Teal'c's. Were they serious? Jack looked back and forth between the two but couldn't tell. If those were the poker faces they'd worn to the card game, it was a wonder they hadn't walked away with more. And what did she mean by "before the game was interrupted"? He was going to ask but thought better of it. Maybe it was better not to know. Better for him to keep believing that everything went as planned. After all, they do say ignorance is bliss. With that in mind, Jack tucked into his own meal, not allowing his thoughts to stray to anything resembling poker. Yes, he was a happy man.

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><p>AN: For all of you wondering where Cam was during this whole mess, I've written a companion story called _Baby, It's Cold Outside_. I hope you read it and enjoy.

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><p><strong>R&amp;R does not mean read and run. Please review!<strong>


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